Five precepts:

• Abstaining from killing living beings
• Abstaining from stealing
• Abstaining from sexual misconduct
• Abstaining from lying
• Abstaining from taking intoxicating drinks and drugs

Question 2: As a scientist, how do we respect humanity while incorporating ideas like genetic modifications? By Frank T Asheri

Answer: Even though any modifications such as genetic modifications or scientific developments, nobody can escape from karma. Karma is our origin, karma is our relative, karma is our place of birth. The only way to overcome karma is to be Enlightened.

Question 3: How do you shave your head so smooth? Any tips or recommendations? Also why do Buddhist priests shave their heads? By Bryan Thorpe

Answer: When monks shave their hair, they do not need to think about combing their hair or any kind of hair styles. Monks can use that time to meditate or learning the teaching of the Buddha. Also, Buddhist monks gave up the desire for their hair too when they became monks as per Buddha’s advice.

Question 4: How would you explain about the differences among people (i.e. some poor, some rich, some beautiful some ugly) in regard of God as the creator?

Answer: Buddhists do not believe in a creator God. They believe these differences are due mainly to the previous actions (aka karma) they have done. If someone practiced generosity in the previous lives, he/she will be rich in this life. If someone did not practice generosity in his or her past lives, he/she will be poor in this life. If someone practice loving kindness and did not get angry in his/her previous lives, he/she will be beautiful in this live. If someone got angry or ill will or hatred even for small things, he or she will be ugly in this life

Question 5: What is the religions attitude towards homosexuality and the gender spectrum? By Azura

 If someone can practice celibate life with four precepts or training rules, Gender spectrum is negligible.

Training rules or precepts:

• Abstaining from killing living beings
• Abstaining from stealing
• Abstaining from incelibacy
• Abstaining from lying
• Abstaining from taking intoxicating drinks and drugs

Question 6: How would you explain the violence torture and killings actions towards Muslim population in Myanmar (Buddhist Myanmar) and how would you explain the Buddhist who support violence politics and interventions in Myanmar?

Buddha never accepted or motivated killings any beings even a small creature. Buddha explains in this long journey of death and birth (which is called Sansara) he couldn’t find to his divine eye any creature in this world  was not our close relative such as father, mother, step mother, step father, brother, sister, aunty and uncle etc. All are related to us in our previous lives.

Question 7: Although our understanding of God may differ, are we all looked after and received by the same God?

Buddhists don’t believe in a creator God.

Question 8: How does Buddhism define “sexual misconduct” so that one may abstain from it? By Bella

One should follow the training rule or precept by not engaging sexual conduct with someone else other than married husband or wife.

Question 9: [Twitter Question] What is responsible for deciding whether our actions warrant good or bad karma. Surely each human action lies on the spectrum of morality and it can be difficult to determine if some actions are good or bad as philosophy has said for centuries. By Omar Khan

Karma is a natural law. If someone follows the five precepts or training rules without breaking them mentioned here and doing moral conduct, he or she will collect good karma. If someone does not follow the five precepts or training rules and breaking them and doing immoral conduct, he or she will collect bad karma.